St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-02-22

the interests of the cattle kings and syndi-
Gates. Mr.. Perkins. of Kansas, spoke in
support of the position of the senate con-
ferees, which. he said, was that the honest
settler should be protected against
THE ARBITRARY DECISION
of the general land office. and should be
given an opportunity to have his rights in
vestigated in the court. Would it be said
by the house. representing the intelligence
and decency of the nation, that
the honest settler should not be
given an opportunity to vindi-
cate his rights to his home?
| The representative who spoke for the peo-
pie of the West protested against the prac-
tices of the wrecker who now occupied the
position of commissioner. who deprived
himself of sleep and food in order that he
might have more time to work an injury to
the cottagers of the West. If a man went
to the commissioners Office to speak in be-
half of the outraged settlers he was met
with insult and indignity. Personally. he
had no complaint to make against
the commissioner. He had only once
intruded upon the presence of his
; majesty. the commissioner, and then
out by mail a periodical containing wood
less harm in that than in anything else the
commissioner was likely to do he had with
drawn without disturbing him. Laughter.
Mr.. Laird (Nebraska) thought the only
question presented was whether an Amer
ican citizen was entitled as matter of right
to day in court. The house should stand
| by the conferees of the senate. Mr.. Payson
Qllinois) said that politically he had never
had an iOta of sympathy with the man who
occupied the position of commissioner of
the general land Office. H9did not stand
here as Mr.. Sparks defender politically.
but he did know that the commissioner had
been endeavoring to
DO HIS DUTY
as an executive officer. His attention has
never been called to any act in the commls-
SiOnerS administration of the Office that
could be attributed to sentiment other
than that designated. Replying to the OBJ
lection that the bill would be in the inter-
est OF the cattle companies. and the asser-
tion made in the senate that the special
agents never assailed the title of cattle syn
dicates, he read from the record of the
land Office to show that recently 1922
entries covering 80, ,520 acres claimed
by cattle companies, had been cancelled in
section Of country which could be covered
ring to the abuses (which existed under the
existing law he stated that one cattle COM
pany, the head of which was in the gallery
listening to him, owned and contro all
extent of territory SO by $50 miles. an area
larger than the whole state of Rhode Island.
This company was composed largely
of foreigners and an American citizen
could not set his foot upon this
large area of which the government had
been robbed. He iEstanced also the Estes
park entry in Colorado, the title to which
was by fraud vested in the Earl of Dun
raven.
IN HIS VERDANCY,
when he first came to Washington, he had
supposed that when a thing of this kind
was brought to the attention of government
officials something could be done to cause
revisal. He had gone to the department of
justice four different times, trying to get
Mr.. Brewster to file bill to set aside
the title. He had not succeeded.
He had tried it twice in this
administration, and now he was done. Mr..
Symes (Col.) said that the department of
justice had frequently acted. and that thou
sands and thousands of acres had been re-
stored to the public domain in Colorado.
In 1877 he had been employed by the gov
ernment as special counsel in twenty-six
suits involving land titles and gained every
one of them.
entry?
Mr.: Symes-Yes. z
Mr.. Payson-So it seems there is some
fraud in Colorado?
Mr.. Symes stated that he had
never denied it, but there was
more opportunity for reform under
the present system than under that
favored by the committee on public lands.
Mr.. Payson inquired whether the gentle
man meant to intimate that the committee
was not in favor of land reform. Mr.
Symes retorted that the committee init
mated that nobody else was. Because there
were some frauds in Colorado and else
where, which the committee wished to un-
earth, the committee wanted to put it into
the power of crank commissioner to issue
sweeping order which would deprive
honest settlers of their homes without Civ
ing them an opportunity to i4-
PROVE THEIR HONESTY.
Mr. Payson then proceeded to argue in
favor OF the house conferees, standing firm
in their position, believing the senate prop
CsitiOn would be subyersive of the best in
terestS of the government and protective of
fraud. He yielded to no man in his desire
to stand by the man who was seeking to
make home for himself upon the Western
prairies. Let no man say to him that by
any action he would lay straw in the way
OF such a man; but at the same time he
stood here to-day, as he had stood here for
six years. in the way of the torrent of
robbery. perjury and crime that was sweep
ing the land, despoiling the government of
that which it should reserve and reserve to
the latest generation. for the benefit of the
landless and homeless poor. Applause
Mr.. Laird again spoke in favor of the SEN
ate amendment which would submit the
question of validity or fraud to court of
justice. A better arbitrator upon the rights
of the government and the rights of the
humblest citizen could not be found. Mr.
Perkins said the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Payson) had INDUCED in
THE CRY OF FRAUD"
and had attempted to frighten gentlemen bv
that specter, but the representatives of the
West would not be restrained from the dis
charge of their duty by such an appeal.
Mr.. Gilfillan (Minn.) could see no reason
why the house should be afraid to give any
body a fair hearing in court Of justice.
By vote of 96 to 3S the report of the con-
ferees was accepted. Mr.. Cobb Qnd.)
then moved that the house refuse to recede
from its disagreement to the senate amend
ments and agree to the request of further
conference. Pending the question, Mr..
Perkins moved that the house recede from
its disagreement to section OF the bill and
consent to the same with an amendment.
Rejected, SO to 9s. Mr.. Cobb's motion was
then agreed to and further conference was
ordered.
Congressman Weds.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-The marriage
Of 70 Do,